Unfeigned Faith

Monday, January 7, 2013

Figures of Speech

After a somewhat exhaustive search for continuity in the meanings of Old Testament and New Testament phrases, an abbreviated list is compiled here with those words that cause the greatest confusion to the casual reader of the Bible, and even the concerned student of the word. Each word or phrase has been re-translated from the original language, evaluated by syntax, context and the hermeneutic spiral. New testament words have been meticulously evaluated from their Hebrew counterpart in the Old testament. The idiom of the New Testament has been compared with that of the Hebrew and Persian of the Old. The main effect of this treatment allows one to understand what the Hebrew-speaking writers of the New testament implied by the choice of words and syntax of their language and culture.

This has a use for the reader in that understanding is improved by glancing at these definitions of words or phrases as they are encountered while examining the Bible.

Heaven: a
dwelling place not like the physical universe we understand; A spiritual realm.
Denoted in the O.T. as the “thick darkness” where YHVH dwells. This is opposed
to “outer darkness” where YHVH does not dwell. Outer darkness is also called the
“second death” or hell. (Daniel 7:13, Exodus 20:21; II Ch 6:1; Job 38:9;Psa
18:11; Matt 8:12, 22:13, 25:30)

Throne: Status notation
of authority or responsibility (Gr. thronos).

Judgment Seat:
Position of authority to judge at the point of need for a decision. Often performed
with a portable device or platform carried about from place to place; can be
for an appointed time and place. Commonly used during the apostolic era by the
Roman government.

The “Judgment seat of
Christ” (Rom 14:10; II Cor. 5:10) is a continuous process of daily
decisions based on the direction within the mind and heart of a Christian.
Based on this, judgment begins at the house of God for those who walk according
to the Spirit. We are judged based on our walk of repentance, being spirit
filled and having spirit led behavior. Having been judged so, our death will
precipitate a resurrection unto life everlasting.In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus,
Jesus pointed out that Lazarus was in a protected “Bosom of Abraham” (first covenant) while the rich man was already
tormented in flames. The Bosom of Abraham was the protection afforded the
righteous in God under the law through faith in Moses law.

Death: The
resurrection is for the body, not the soul; the soul is transferred to its
destination upon death and cannot cease to exist or “sleep”. Sleep is an idiom
that infers the death of the body. Death is a term meaning the separation of
the spirit from God. In this context sleep cannot refer to the spirit of man because
that separation is called the “second death”. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden
fruit, they did “die”; that is, they were separated from the Spirit and cast
out of the garden. Their bodies did not “sleep” until hundreds of years
afterwards.

Footstool: A
symbolic term denoting submission to an authority or the one of responsibility.
This implies complete submission, including one’s own mental authority and
physical power.

Under the Feet;
Crushed the Neck: To be humiliated or subjected to a crushing defeat
attended by complete submission. To be rendered powerless.

Crushed the Head: to
destroy or kill

Standing on the Right
Hand (of His People; of God): (Psa. 16:8, Acts 2:25)The subject of the phrase has immovable power
or has impossible circumstances facilitated by the power of the right hand. The
right hand is the dexterous one; the one of greatest strength. The left hand
was weaker and considered evil. (Rectus (correct or righteous): right
hand.Sinister: left hand (wayward or
evil)).

Jesus Christ (the
human sacrifice who’s spirit is God) standing on the Right Hand of God: The
ascended Messiah (transfigured body) was now able to act in all power and with
all authority without restraint of human form and lifestyle.

(Son of Man coming)
in the Clouds of Heaven: A human being that is not altogether corporeal,
but manifests as one who also inhabits Heaven; an ascended being; Jesus after
the resurrection (Matt. 24:30;26:64;Mark 14:62)

Sitting Upon: To
be present at the time of an event and responsible for, or the causative
authority of the event. (Sitting upon the flood, upon the circle of the Earth,
upon the throne) God was present and responsible for the flood in judgment and
present and responsible for the circle of the Earth (it’s orbit around the sun)
in creation. He is responsible for the last judgment of every human being.

Arm or Right Arm: Judgment; either positive
or negative to the recipient. Power executed in Judgment. (Destruction;
Grace)“to whom is the Arm of the Lord
revealed (for Israel);”
“to whom all the Nations is revealed.” The judgment of God to help Israel and all
God’s people as realized by and against all the Nations.John 12:38; Isa. 52:10, Romans 1:16

Alexander the Great was known as “Alexander the long-armed”
because he exercised judgment over the entire known population of Earth during
his reign.

To Sit on the Right
Hand of God: To have the nature of God (authority, responsibility,
character). (To sit: to be present and responsible for, or the causative
authority).

Begotten:To be caused to live as a wonder or sign or
as a mark. This is the fundamental process of adoption or attachment of the
person to mark a sign: to give the name of this begotten one as a significant
point in the mind of the reader. This does not ascribe genetic parent-hood in a
physical sense necessarily. Jesus Christ (the physical body) was the only
begotten of the Father (the Spirit) until that Spirit fell upon mankind to
reside within them.

All who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and made alive by
the Spirit are begotten of the Father also. The word derives from an ancient
Chaldean law code (Hammurabi) that specifies the legal ramifications of
adoption by a family and the one given that family name. This includes paying
the cost of midwife and the associated costs of rearing and education. That
which was generated or caused to live was given all the rights, privileges and
debts of the family name.

In this way we also are given these things in Heaven that
derive from that name, Jesus, added to their life. This adoption into God’s
family is provided to us now through Baptism in His name, Jesus.

Son of Man: An innocent human being.Daniel referred to the Messiah as the Son of
Man. Jesus Christ referred to himself as such, pointing out his own sinless
humanity; to have the nature of a Adam before the fall . “Son of” is an idiomatic form of Hebrew writing
which expresses a manifestation of something somewhere else including the
nature that was present initially (see below). Mankind is translated from the
Hebrew word iysh- frail mortal, after
the fall.

Son of God: Human
abode of the Holy One of Israel
(Spirit of the Holy One) that fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament.
The “Son of God” had all the authority and power of the Spirit in Heaven and
Earth; one who is the nature of God among
mankind. This is a reference to only one human being in the Bible; Jesus
Christ. (Isaiah 9:6; I Tim. 3:16) Jesus was able to call this Spirit “Father”
because he was begotten of the Holy Ghost (Matt 1:18).

After the Spirit fell (called the Holy Ghost or the
Comforter), all who were begotten in salvation and are led by the Father (the
Spirit) are called “sons of God” (Christians) but not The Son of God (the
Messiah).

Job gives a descriptive example of this idiom 5:7: “Son of a
fiery coal” is an idiom that means a burning cinder or spark. It burns just
like the coal and is in fact a portion that is not located in the fire anymore
but on your hand...

Jesus, the Son of God is just God, but a local human form
and not in Heaven. Emmanuel: God with us.

According to prophecy, Jesus Christ was to be called
Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14; 8:8) or Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23) which is interpreted as “God
with mankind” or “God with us”. Jesus was never called by this translated
prophetic name. Yet this prophecy was fulfilled as the idiom was used instead: “Son
of God”. These two phrases have the exact same meaning.

Father: the
Spirit of the Holy One that begat the “Son of God” (Matt. 1:18, Mark 14:6) and
all who are redeemed of the “Son of God” by the Spirit that dwelt in him.The Israelites never refer to God as the
“Father”. They called Him many things but they were not “of the Father”, they
were of the Law; they were chosen. This idiom implies the one who “begets”
others. Anyone begotten of the Father 9filled with his Spirit) is called a son
of God, and has the right to call God their “Father”. (Romans 8:15, Gal.
4:6)In the salutations given by the
Apostles, especially Paul, this idiom is a way to reinforce the notion of
“adopted family” upon the reader.

First Begotten of the
Dead: Jesus Christ.After his death,
Jesus’ body was resurrected by the power of the Spirit that dwelt in him.
Because of this, all who die in Jesus are begotten from the dead in like
manner.This includes those who kept the
Law in the Old Testament times. (Rev. 1:5; I Thess. 4:16)

Holy Ghost: based
on translation from the Greek Septuagint and not the early Hebrew manuscripts,
this actually is “The Spirit of the Holy One” in the Greek and implies that it acts
upon humanity. The fundamental purpose for denoting this is the characteristic
of presence (Jehovah Shama: shm= the consecrated breath is there; “I Am there”
Ezekiel 48:35).The phrase literally
means the Spirit of God is consecrated there. In the Old Testament, this was
the “breath” which made the dead to live (Adam). In the New Testament, it is
the “breath” or “wind” that makes man live again (the indwelling Spirit of
Christ). In Acts, when mankind first received the “Spirit of the Holy One”
there was a sound as of a rushing mighty wind that filled the entire house
where they sat. This is promised to all who are obedient to the Apostles
Doctrine of salvation. (Acts 2:38) This component of our life in Christ is
necessary to accomplish sanctification in life and resurrection after death. Having
experienced the “Holy Ghost” means to have the character and the Breath (the
Spirit) of God present within you for a purpose.

Lord: One who has received the obedience
of those who do his will, and is the provider of peace to the future of those
following; the foundation of the society
or individual. The authority of the Lord provides protection and
compensation to those under his authority. In the context of Jesus Christ, Lord
means the one we emulate in life and are changed in like fashion upon death.

The following is an analysis of the most most common salutation in the New testament written by the Apostle Paul using the above determined word definitions.

A salutation of Paul to the Galatians: Paul, an Apostle, (not of men, neither by
man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead :)
And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be unto you and peace from God the
Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the will of God and our Father.

>by
Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead:

The Messiah (human form based on prophecy for a special
sacrifice) was called by his Father’s name, Jesus. The “Father” is the Spirit
we call God who begat the body of the Messiah (Matt. 1:18) and was what was
inside that human body, and caused him (the human body) to be the firstborn of
the dead by raising him from the grave alive. Jesus is not another person who
is God, but is literally God himself in a body. (I Tim 3:16 God was manifest in
the flesh; not someone’s flesh but His own that He created for Himself)

>from
God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ:

God provides us grace and peace, and he is our Lord Jesus
through our faith in the actions and life of the Messiah that we have accepted
as our redeemer. This sacrificial body provided the blood sacrifice to give us
a life according to God’s will. In living through the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
we make him our Lord and in obeying his commands to repent and be baptized, we
make him our savior.

>according
to the will of God and our Father:

Two inferences can be drawn: The first is that the will of
God is displayed through the prophets; Jesus Christ being the one who finished
fulfilling all of them. Secondly, the Greek word translated and is a word that can mean also and or. In this translation the phrase is

according to the will
of God (who is) also our Father.

from God the Father
also our Lord Jesus Christ

by Jesus Christ, also
God the Father who raised him from the dead.

Regardless of translation path, these salutations emphasize
the idea that God is our Father also; in essence we are begotten of the Father.
This was Paul’s overriding ministry focus, and is hermenuetically correct.

Translation from the Hebrew
original.

English translated
from Greek

Gal 1:3Grace be
to you and peace from God the Father, and from
our Lord Jesus Christ,

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Long, long ago before there was time or even the universe,
lived an entity referred to as “The Ancient of Days”. This entity dwelt in a
place very different from our universe. There were no lights, no elements no
water and no space. This place was called the “thick darkness” by humans of
long ago who tried to describe his habitation.

At some point (not a point in time, as it did not yet exist)
the Ancient of Days had developed from within him a pattern of thoughts that
evolved into the imagination of his own appearance as if it existed in a
different realm; a physical realm. He imagined how he should look to portray
his nature accurately; how to build a habitation that would exemplify his own
volition of will in a physical universe.

You see, he had constructed beings to do his will in his own
realm; unfortunately a by-product of spontaneously doing his will left them
devoid of choice. They worshipped him, but this gave no satisfaction to the
Ancient One. He wanted fellowship with something more like himself; entities
that could have a connection with him, but at the same time have intelligence independent
of him. In essence, he wished to have fellowship with creatures of decision and
choice. He sought to make them with the possible outcome of a desire to befriend
him.

He imagined how it should be in this realm where he could
exist as one of them, yet be himself at the same time. So to construct such
creatures would require building the universe of physical reality first, and
placing the right mixture of violent energy and peaceful soil well-watered in a
habitation to sustain them.

He imagined how he would fit into that environment, and how
they would respond to his will. In fact, so powerful was his intelligence that
he saw how this would all work together from the tiniest detail of the
particles he would create, to the complex systems of living matter that would
thrive upon them. He saw how they would in part reject him, how they would have
to learn about him in greater detail, and how he would have to finally build a
way for them to connect to him; and that in a fashion that allowed him to teach
them through the part of them that would be likened to his own nature.

They would need to make daily decisions and they would fail
to do that correctly. This is the nature of creatures of decision; they must
manifest what was known within them to accomplish what was required to do his
will. Unfortunately, this required learning, and they would learn imperfectly
that which they could not observe. He would have to go down there and
straighten it all out and leave them a pattern to follow to get them in touch
with him.

I
saw in the night visions, and, behold, one
like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him.

And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve
him: his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Dan 7:13-14

The “Son of man” is translated from the Chaldean words
meaning mankind. So at this point the
plan was set in motion to bring about his will by creating the universe and
mankind within it. He created them with his own design in mind; he made them
part physical (of earth) and part like himself (not physical).

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:26,27

Since God had created the universe by voice command and then
the earth brought forth the biosphere by his voice; he also commanded the earth
to join together with him and form us as entities with both a physical and a
spiritual design. In this way, he built a place for himself to inhabit with us
in time.

I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty
inventions.

The LORD possessed me in the
beginning of his way, before his works of old.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth
was.

When there were no
depths, I was brought forth; when there
were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were
settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest
part of the dust of the world.

When he prepared the heavens, I was
there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the
fountains of the deep:

When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his
commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before
him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.Proverbs 8:12, 22-31

It seems odd to label the things God imagined so long ago as
wisdom. However, properly used, wisdom is exactly what he was building in that
dark place that he called his heaven. God intended to act on his
imagination-his will, and create the outcome; this is wisdom.

That your faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Howbeit we
speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor
of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even
the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory: I Corinthians 2:5-7

But we preach Christ
crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But unto them which are
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness
of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

I Corinthians 1:23-25

We can examine the history; the
biblical references and uncover this mysterious plan. John wrote of this very
plan in his rendition of Jesus entry to and ministry on the earth:

In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the
beginning with God.

The “Word” is translated from the Greek logos: the thought, reasoning and motive of an entity. So to properly
understand John’s reference here, the concept
must be stated as part of the conceiver.
To paraphrase:

“In the beginning the Ancient of Days
imagined a plan that came from within him, and the plan was God but in a
physical form. This was before the creation.”

All things were made by
him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

In him was life; and the
life was the light of men.

To continue in paraphrase:

“The plan was executed to create a
universe and a people that would produce this pre-designed body for the Ancient
of Days to dwell in. The wisdom of the Ancient of Days plan was manifested in
him and this gave mankind the pattern to follow in order to please him and do
all his will.”

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth.

John bare witness of him,
and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is
preferred before me: for he was before
me. John 1:1-4; 14,15

And so, we see that Jesus Christ is that creature that the
Ancient of Days imagined he should be. We were all formed as we are because God
in his infinite wisdom fashioned a race of creatures that would produce this
Messiah. The look, the feel, the ability of this man exemplifies completely the
nature of God. We are the product of that first design; we are formed in the
image of the Messiah, even though that form was not actually created in flesh until about 2,000 years ago.

God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom
he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Who
being the brightness of his
glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high;

Being made so much better
than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than
they.

For unto which of the
angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And
again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

The angels worship only God; the Son is worshiped by Angels because he was the physical embodiment of God.

And of the angels he
saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

But unto the Son he saith,
Thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever: a scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of thy kingdom. Hebrews 1:1-6

Majesty: greatness of power and authority.
This is not the person of Deity, but rather a description of his final state.

Righteousness was the goal the Messiah came to teach; and
through his sacrifice to begin righteousness within each person that chose to
follow him. God came to us in the form of a man to teach us how to please him
and become related to him.

Thomas saith unto him,
Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from
henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Philip saith unto him,
Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Jesus saith unto him,
Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;
and how sayest thou then, Shew
us the Father?

Believest thou not that I
am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak
not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. John 14:5-10

As the Ancient of Days had seen in his realm before the
creation, many men would reject him. They would make the wrong decisions and
lose the chance to find him. But God in his mercy tried again and again to bring
all men to the knowledge of the truth.

I and my Father are
one.

Then the Jews took up
stones again to stone him.

Jesus answered them, Many
good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye
stone me?

The Jews answered him,
saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest
thyself God. John 10:30-33

Jesus was not happy that his people rejected his friendship
and his will. He tried to get them to understand but they were deceived and
they were upset by the actions of the Roman government. They wanted freedom
from that overseer, but they were not looking for freedom from both the flesh
and the spirit.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them
that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together,
as a hen doth gather her brood
under her wings, and ye would
not!

Luke 13:34

Now we can
see the plan unfolded and centered on God and us getting to know him. Jesus the
Messiah was the wisdom of God to bring us together. Because we cannot fathom
the thinking that brought about what we now understand and sense, we were led
to it slowly, over time. God did not
rush things, because we would likely “hurt” ourselves trying to grasp his plan.

But as
it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God. I Corinthians
2:9,10

So to
understand fully, we should continue to search for the way God intended for us
to connect to him:

That ye might walk worthy
of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God;

Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

In whom we have
redemption through his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins:

Who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

For by him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him:

And he is before all
things, and by him all things consist.

And he is the head of the
body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in
all things he might have the
preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in him should all
fulness dwell;

And, having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by
him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven.

And you, that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

In the body of his flesh
through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his
sight:

Colossians 1:10-22

It is in this process we find our friendship with God. It was his plan before the beginning. It has always been his plan. You are the only thing God seeks in the whole of his realm and the universe; that is one who will worship him in spirit and in truth.